Tribulations of Heroes

Michael didn’t appear bothered by such a distasteful stunt.Then, the rumors that he slept in oxygen chamber, that he consulted magical powers and that he couldn’t sire his children the good old biological way were never countered. If anything, they were left to spread the Chinese way. Eventually, when he died, many, especially inAfrica thought it was one of his stunts. Some actually put it that it was to promote his, then, dwindling fortunes. His sister, Latoya, still thinks along those lines. She, however, thinks of it as a foul play rather than a stunt.At a discussion at a local restaurant, in a village in Africa, somebody wondered aloud how Michael could have managed to sire white children- considering that he was black. Well, that was the kind of talk you don’t hear from fond fans. It is a characteristic of disappointed fan gossip.

Yet, and without doubt, the guy's talent was phenomenon. History, however, will have it that a great soul trended on this the earth in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He died in ’09 of drug overdose. History is that mean.

A couple of years after Michael’s departure, another great departs in more or less the same circumstances. Whitney Houston has been hailed as the greatest voice to yet grace the earth. Her voice was second to none and God knows how her love messages imparted hearts of many, including, couples.

Whitney was initially reported to have drowned. In a bath tub.

You would be forgiven for suggesting that the Beverly Hilton hotel should re look in to the engineering architecture of their bath tubs, or assign life savers to their users.

There are, however, rumors that she might have ingested a, deadly, cocktail of Xanax prescription and alcohol. Incidentally the drug is well known to contraindicate with alcohol. And, since she must have known this. Or, the doctor who prescribed must have told her. Why would she go ahead and do it?

Whitney’s most interesting bit of her life is, however, her marriage to Bobby Brown. It lasted fifteen years. An achievement you would say. But as long as it lasted it was nothing to write home about. There were claims of drug session binges that portrayed her as a junkie, and canal.

Her family insists that she would still be an angel, had she not met the devil of the man, Booby, who ostensibly, introduced her to drug life.

And, apparently, she fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Bobby on his part complains that he never got a fair deal in the marriage. In deed he charges that she was incapable of falling in love with opposite sex and that her marriage to him was for her selfish reasons: as a smokescreen to her other side.

According to Bobby, he had sought to be loved and sire children, which wasn’t much of her agenda. A breakdown was, eventually, inevitable. And, as happens, their daughter, Kristina, has to put up with the blunt end.

The tragedy of Michael and Whitney is more pronounced than, say, Nigeria’s Fela Kuti, because of the massive cultural exports that America avails to the world.

And as the old saying goes, ‘to who much is given, much is demanded.’ American celebrities, and others in general, should not only expect much scrutiny, but should also expect more demands on their personal lives. After all, they are mentoring many young people around the world.

So, its probably in order to ask our beloved celebrities to drop crime, drugs and sex messages for: conformity, healthy living and love. Last but not least, they should not take life for granted.